Criminal Minds has been a hit since debuting on CBS in September 2005, and it’s no small part due to the acting talents of Joe Mantegna. Although Mantegna joined the cast in the show’s third year, after the departure of Mandy Patinkin who played Senior Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) Jason Gideon, he took over the big responsibility of being the headliner responsible for carrying a large part of the show.

Mantegna plays David Rossi, another Senior Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) voluntarily returning to the team after taking early retirement from the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) for personal projects. A highly experienced profiler, he was one of the original members of the unit. During his hiatus he wrote books and did the lecture circuit discussing criminal analysis.

Criminal Minds is what’s classified as a police procedural program. What makes it different is the focus. While most, if not all, procedurals focus on solving the crime, Criminal Minds puts their attention to profiling the dangerous criminal referred to as the unsub or “unknown subject”—and these people have really twisted minds.

On the show, part of Mantegna’s wardrobe is the Fortis 648.10.12 K, from the B-42 Diver watch collection. Fortis is known for their rugged watches, and this model has the added benefit of being water resistant, so Rossi can rely on it to hold up in the field, which is crucial in his job.

Off the Criminal Minds set, Mantegna is a busy guy with a multi-faceted career. He works in television, film and stage, having appeared in David Mamet’s play Glengarry Glen Ross, for which he won a Tony. He’s acted in films including The Godfather Part III, Bugsy and Searching for Bobby Fischer, and he voiced characters in The Simpsons and Cars 2. But his talent doesn’t stop there, he’s also a musician who played in a band that eventually went on to form the group Chicago. By that time, Mantegna had left the band to pursue his acting career.

Fans, however, get their biggest dose of Mantegna weekly on Criminal Minds where, when he’s not profiling the bad guys, you can see he’s definitely having a ball with the crew and his co-stars on the set.

In the following video, Joe Mantegna is wearing his Fortis 635.10.11 L.01 B-42 Pilot Professional watch. “I chose this Fortis watch, because this is what a successful FBI profiler would wear,” Joe says.

If you’re a network, producer, critic or actor in television, then the place to be is at the Television Critics Association (TCA) Press Tour in July. Here the networks announce their new shows and schedules in the never-ending race to be the ratings king. During this time the press has the opportunity to interview the players, including the creators, writers and stars of the show all in one place. And with announcements come the parties.

On July 17, CBS/CW and Showtime were the hosts, where Criminal Minds stars Joe Mantegna and Shemar Moore came out to have some fun. The show is about a group of profilers who keep tabs on dangerous criminals in order to anticipate and stop them before they strike again.

Veteran actor Mantegna plays David Rossi, an FBI BAU Supervisory Special Agent who came out of early retirement to rejoin the BAU. Mantegna is a multi-talent who acts, writes, produces, plays music and even does voice work, most notably for The Simpsons as Fat Tony.

As usual Mantegna was a good sport with the press, answering questions and posing for pictures. He looked dapper wearing a suit with an open collar. Around his wrist was spotted a Fortis B-42 Diver watch to complement his outfit.

Mantegna mugged it up with co-star Shemar Moore in some fun pictures posing as if they were holding guns (top of page). As FBI BAU Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan on “Criminal Minds”, Moore is a black belt in judo and runs FBI self-defense classes in addition to his profiling work. Before landing the role on Criminal Minds Moore worked as a model and was a regular on The Young and the Restless .

Like his buddy Mantegna, Moore is press friendly and had a good time at the party, posing for pictures and granting interviews. His style of dress differed from Mantegna’s. He was more street cool in a black short-sleeved shirt with a leather vest over it and a black hat. Like Mantegna, he also sported a watch, a GV2 Fiamme.

The Watch Professional Pilots Prefer on Their Wrists

The Fortis B-42 Flieger is legendary among aviators. This classic military style watch has everything that professional pilots need. Available in a practical three-hand or a sophisticated chronograph configuration, these superbly crafted timing tools feature large, easily readable dials, clearly marked lettering, and in the case of the chronograph models, the additional tools you need to accurately measure everything from airspeed to the length of a trip leg.

The classic 42 mm Flieger Automatic design features a large easy-to-read dial with contrasting lettering for easy visibility under adverse lighting conditions. The watch is housed in a rugged PVD coated or brushed stainless steel case that is water resistant to 660 feet and is protected by an anti-reflective, scratch resistant sapphire crystal.

A dependable, Swiss-made ETA 2386-2 mechanical movement typically powers three-hand models, while the chronographs utilize the venerable ETA Valjoux 7750 movement with a 42-hour power reserve. Each of these professional timing tools has been engineered to provide a lifetime of reliable service. Chronograph models include 30-minute and 12-hour sub-dials for timing events, as well as a small seconds display at 6 o’clock. The versatile chronograph dial has a big date window at 3 o’clock and a tachymeter scale inscribed around the chapter ring. Most three-hand models also include a convenient big date display.

Your Fortis B-42 Flieger Automatic can be equipped with a beautiful, topstitched leather caoutchouc band or stainless steel bracelet. These oversized, masculine watches are perfectly proportioned for a man’s wrist and include a larger than normal winding crown, which makes the watch easy to operate in the air or on the ground. Chronograph models include two well-placed stainless steel pushers on either side of the crown for timing events.

After 100 years of technical innovation and firsts, it’s no surprise that Fortis watches have become a favored timepiece of astronauts and aviators. Fortis means “strength” in Latin and professional aviators know that they can depend on these remarkable, Swiss-made timing tools when there’s no room for error. If you’re a pilot, or would like to look like one, just contact an authorized Fortis dealer and ask to see the B-42 Flieger Automatic Watch Collection. One of these remarkable timepieces is already cleared for takeoff on your wrist.

The classic styling on these iconic divers has often been imitated, but never equaled.

When Fortis introduced the Marinemaster in the 1960’s, it quickly became one of the company’s most popular and enduring designs. It’s easy to see why. The Marinemaster embodied everything the venerable Swiss watchmaker believed in. Marinemaster watches were well-made, precision timing tools that divers, aviators, and adventurers could depend on in any situation.

Over the years, the first Marinemaster design grew to become an entire collection, linked by a common set of principles. Today’s Fortis B-42 Marinemaster Collection includes both three-hand day-date configurations and chronographs engineered to meet a wide variety of professional needs. These watches all feature a clearly marked unidirectional rotating bezel for timing dives and a durable stainless steel case that is water resistant to an impressive 660 feet.

All B-42 Marinemasters feature easy-to-read day-date windows at 3 o’clock, and chronograph configurations add an innovative oversized knurled edge to the rotating bezel, making it exceptionally easy to manipulate underwater. Like many Fortis watches, the B-42 Marinemaster incorporates one of the cleanest, easy-to-read dials on the market. In both the three-hand and chronograph configurations, it is this large, extremely legible dial that makes the watch a true professional timing tool. Some users prefer the simplicity of the three-hand versions, since the watch is so easy to read in difficult situations. Others prefer the chronograph models, with additional 12-hour, 30-minute, and small seconds subdials, for their versatile timing capabilities. Either way, these exciting 42mm masterpieces will never let you down.

Fortis B-42 Marinemasters are powered by a precision, Swiss-made automatic movement and protected by an anti-reflective, scratch resistant sapphire crystal. Some models also incorporate a clear viewing port on the case back, providing an intriguing glimpse of the intricate mechanical movement at work. B-42 Marinemaster timepieces can be equipped with silicon, caoutchouc, or top-quality calfskin straps to meet your needs. Alternately, some models can also be equipped with a solid stainless steel bracelet.

After a century of watchmaking innovation, the Fortis B-42 Marinemaster Collection remains a visible and enduring affirmation of the legendary quality that Fortis has become famous for. Even the Fortis name means “strength,” and that’s a strong reason to contact an authorized Fortis dealer immediately and reserve your own B-42 Marinemaster.